Updated on Thursday, July 02, 2009, 23:47 IST

Islamabad, July 02: Norway temporarily closed down its embassy in Pakistan after receiving a threat, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.

The sources said that the embassy had received an anonymous threat a few days ago and alerted police in Islamabad about the development.

Located in a residential area near one of Islamabad's busiest markets, the embassy was subsequently closed till Friday.

The Norwegian foreign ministry said the decision to close the embassy was made in view of the general security situation and an assessment of existing threats.

The sources said Inspector General of Police Syed Kaleem Imam had visited the embassy recently to assess its security.

Asked about the closure of the embassy at the weekly news briefing this afternoon, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said the foreign ministry had not "heard anything to this effect".

On June 24, Pakistani police announced the arrest of 25 alleged militants claiming that the arrested suspects were planning attacks in large cities, including on foreign targets.

Bureau Report